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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · lie · wind · bay · saw · nail · bore · cue

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — for digging
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com